The Giant of Doubt
5 Stones of Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 10 viewsThe Giant of Doubt will kill faith, God’s word will kill the Giant of Doubt.
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Several years ago, there was an interesting study conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute on sports fans and their rituals before game day. In this study, what they found was…
Most Americans (60 percent) call themselves fans of a particular team. Among this group, several will do a little dance or say a little prayer to help the team along:
Twenty-one percent (including one in four football fans) will wear special clothes or perform special rituals. Donning a team jersey leads the way (66 percent), but some admit they get a little funky with their undergarments and socks. One fan claimed to wear dirty undershorts on top of his jeans.
Twenty-five percent (including 31 percent of football fans) have sometimes felt their team has been cursed.
Twenty-six percent (including one in three football fans) say they pray to God to help their team.
Football fans are also more likely than other fans to admit praying for their team (33 percent to 21 percent), performing pre-game or game-time rituals (25 percent to 18 percent), or believing that their team has been cursed (31 percent to 18 percent).
Although three-quarters of respondents said God plays no role in who wins, Americans are evenly divided on whether God rewards faith-filled athletes with good health and success, with 48 percent saying yes and 47 percent saying no.
I can speak from personal experience that many of these things are true and were present with many of the players I used to coach, from putting the right or left sock on first to always wearing the same t-shirt, etc.
While many of these stats and stories can be humorous, and I would venture to say that some of us here have game day rituals, we will find that rituals and superstitions are not what God wants when we are trying to defeat the giants in our lives.
We began our series on the 5 Stones of Faith two weeks ago. We got that from 1 Samuel 17:40, which reads…
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
As you will recall…
Saul was King, but by this time, Samuel had already anointed David as the next King.
We looked at the events leading up to David's defeat of Goliath.
We discussed the weapon used by David: the sling, and how deadly the slinger could be.
This then brought us to David selecting the stones.
David chose five stones but only needed one to defeat Goliath.
We then surmised that perhaps David brought extras for possible retaliation from Goliath's brothers and relatives, who were four more giants.
We then briefly discussed how we all deal with metaphorical giants in our lives and how God’s word gives us clues on how we, too, can defeat the giants we face.
For the next several weeks, I want to delve into various giants we face and look at how King Saul and King David dealt with those giants.
This morning, I would like us to explore how we can face and defeat “The Giant of Doubt!”
What comes to mind when you hear the word "Doubt"?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word "doubt" is a feeling.
The Oxford Dictionary defines doubt as “a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction”
King Saul confronted the Giant of Doubt early in his reign and let that doubt cloud his judgment.
Read 1 Sam 13:8-12
Saul, in his impatience, acted on his own instead of following God’s way.
He doubted that Samuel would arrive and took matters into his own hands.
He thought it wasn't a big deal to make a sacrifice to the Lord instead of waiting for the priest Samuel.
His doubt caused him to question the word of God.
Saul was defeated by the Giant of Doubt. If he had been patient and waited for Samuel, he might have had a successful reign as king; however, he chose to handle things his own way, which cost him his kingdom.
“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
David also faced doubt in his life, but he handled it the right way by following God’s path.
Let’s consider what David faced…
David was despised by his brothers. 1 Samuel 17:28-29
David was not a trained warrior like his brothers; he was a shepherd boy and a musician to the king, and still very young.
Yet, David was about to fight the warrior Goliath.
Eliab, his older brother, heard David fraternizing with the men and lost his temper: “What are you doing here! Why aren’t you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you’re up to. You’ve come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!”
“What is it with you?” replied David. “All I did was ask a question.”
It is challenging to live life when those closest to you doubt you, but David didn’t allow his brother to bother him.
David must have faced fleeting doubt before confronting Goliath, yet he attacked both the real giant, Goliath, and the Giant of Doubt with a vengeance.
How did David achieve victory when Saul did not?
How did David achieve victory when Saul did not?
I would like to propose two lessons we can learn from David to help us conquer the Giant of Doubt in our lives.
First, David knew who he was.
He had already been anointed king (1 Samuel 16:13).
He did not allow his brother's comments to bother him because he recognized that the accusations were false.
Since he had been chosen as king, he understood that God had a plan for him, and this giant Goliath wouldn’t thwart that plan.
Secondly, David trusted in God’s word.
David believed God’s word. Genesis 12:3
And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
David remembered God’s promise to the people of Israel. For 40 days, Goliath had been cursing his people. With faith, David took Goliath down based on a promise from God.
David likely recalled the victories of the Judges over their enemies, including stories of Samson, Gideon, Deborah, and even Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt.
In human terms, there is no reason these people should have triumphed over their enemies, but God granted them victory.
How does this apply to you and me?
How does this apply to you and me?
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
The context of James 1:6 emphasizes having faith without doubt when praying for wisdom, yet the illustration of doubt relates to everyday life.
When we begin to doubt, like the waves, we are often driven by our emotions.
What’s the answer? Just as David knew he was king, we should live our lives knowing who we are.
If you are a believer this morning, the Bible says you are a child of God. 1 John 3:1a
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.
When doubt creeps into your mind, remind yourself that you are a child of God.
If you are a child of God, how much greater is His love for you than your earthly father’s?
God is good, and His plans are perfect; therefore, we can trust Him as our Heavenly Father.
Have you ever felt that if you prayed just right or lived a certain way, then maybe God would listen or do what we want? But then we realize that we may not pray perfectly and certainly do not live perfectly, which leads us to doubt God’s goodness and care for us.
If we take a moment to reflect, isn’t it similar to the sports fans who depend on rituals and superstitions rather than simply having faith that God has the answers to our problems and truly loves us, as God’s word states?
David utilized God’s word in these instances; he had faith in God’s promises, and he recalled the victories of the past.
Let me share a few of God’s promises that may encourage you and assist you in your struggle with doubt this morning.
The Bible tells us that when we pray according to God’s will, He hears us 1 John 5:14
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
When we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf. Romans 8:26
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
God promised peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6–7).
Jesus promised rest (Matthew 11:28–30).
Jesus promised abundant life to those who follow Him (John 10:10).
Jesus promised eternal life to those who trust Him (John 4:14).
The Good Shepherd also promised to hold us securely: “No one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
God promised that all things will work out for good for His children (Romans 8:28).
God promised comfort in our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
God promised new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
God promised every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).
God promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6).
God promised to supply our needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).
Jesus promised that He will return for us (John 14:2–3).
What Giant of Doubt are you fighting today? Can I reassure you that God’s word has an answer?
My friend God loves you beyond measure.
Maybe none of this makes sense to you today because you don’t have a relationship with God.
If you don’t know if you are saved, the opportunity to be saved is available today.
Let’s Pray
